Premier companies in the e-recycle industry collect and recover hundreds of electronic products every week. Today, many people want to dispose of their end of life products in a proper way. Some want to get money from their old electronics.
Obsolete televisions and outdated computers are worth a few bucks. E-recycling companies have collection stations wherein you can exchange EOL products with cash. You may also give them to collectors when they visit your home. But what if there is no collection site near you or you don’t know who to call? Have you ever wondered how your e-waste is recycled? What to do when you have collected your e-waste?
Here are the answers to your questions.
You may have a broken refrigerator that has been sitting in your kitchen for months. Or, you might have several outdated computers and cellphones that you aren’t using anymore. You know it is dangerous to dispose of such products in an ordinary way. You shouldn’t toss batteries and electronic products in dumpsters, even if it is tempting to do so.
Discarded computers are dangerous, especially if they are exposed to fire and extreme heat. Computers are made up of numerous circuit boards. They contain up to 3.6 kg of lead, as well as less than 1 kg of cadmium, arsenic, beryllium, mercury, etc.
When they are exposed to heat, they become toxic to living things and they pollute the air, water, and land.
Also, most electronics have flame-retardant chemicals. These chemicals remain in the environment for years. They can also build up in animals and people over time. Evidence shows that flame retardants cause adverse health illnesses. The following are some examples:
1. Thyroid and endocrine disruption
2. Cancer
3. Immune system abnormalities such as too much production of white blood cells and lymphoma
4. Reproductive toxicity
5. Adverse effects on child and fetal development
The aforementioned toxic substances and hazardous chemicals can cause health problems and death. This can happen when an individual is exposed in large doses.
Electronics are full of toxic stuff. This is why they should never end up in dumpsters or in a landfill. When chemicals leak into an ecosystem, they damage animal and plant life. This impacts the food supply of humans. In addition, your personal information may end up in the hands of malicious people. Your computer’s hard drive contains a myriad of information about your life. Your name, address, and internet activity can be collected from your old computer. People who are tech-savvy can recover information or text you have inputted in your computer and media you have saved to your hard drive.
Once they get their hands on your hardware, they may recover and steal your data. And, they can use it for malicious purposes.
The Role of E-recycling Companies: E-recycling companies use a system to segregate and recycle e-waste. The WEEE or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is utilized for recycling 96-98% of all e-scraps that pass through it. Also, it destroys data in memory cards and hard drives. So, you can be assured your personal information, as well as saved media, are safe when you entrust your obsolete, old, or broken devices to a reliable electronic recycling company. Don’t dump your e-scraps in landfills or dumpsters. Instead, you should e-recycle them.